2011 Twin Cities Marathon (Mark Danielson)
In addition to Minneapolis and St. Paul’s friendly, organized and clean exterior, the state is nicknamed the “land of 10,000 lakes.” Thus, there is no shortage of diverse landscapes. Even with my skepticism about their tagline, after about three miles I was totally drinking the Kool-Aid. The Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota is certainly a beautiful blend of cityscapes and natural treasures.
October 2, 2011 marked the 30th running of the Twin Cities marathon and organizers have it down to an art. There was absolutely no fuss involved in the weekend process – from registration to expo to start and finish. I knew it was going to be an enjoyable, pain-free experience when I received my confirmation in the mail about three weeks before race day. It was a packet of about thirty simple pages of directions, hotel information and course guides that I read through and immediately knew all of the pertinent details for the weekend. Perhaps I’ve been conditioned to study these details compulsively, as a veteran of the New York City marathon’s grueling start process down at Staten Island. I hear the trek out to Boston’s start is no walk in the park either. So this simple, hop-on-one-bus start process was a dream. Race organizers supplied buses to the start from three pick-up locations around the Twin Cities. There was also parking available at the start and free public transportation for racers in the morning.
The race begins at Mall of America field in Minneapolis – the football field formerly known as Metrodome, which for a sports nerd not from the Midwest, I thought was pretty cool. It also meant that racers could wait inside the stadium. Yep, you read that right. A race where you wait inside. Maybe this is a more common thing than I’m aware of but the thought of keeping a little warmer eased a whole lot of pre-race nerves.
The first two miles of the course weave through downtown Minneapolis, passing by the impressive Basilica of St. Mary with Sunday church bells ringing! A small uphill from there takes runners into the beginning of the “grand rounds”, a most scenic residential route that goes through six of those ten thousand lakes that the state has to offer. This scenery is a huge chunk of the race and it flew by, perhaps in that the elevation is a net downhill, but also in that it was just beautiful and full of fantastic fan support. Each neighborhood passed through seemed to have its own block party raging. One blasting pop music, the next with a band and lawn decorations, another with a huge balloon arch – to which I remember thinking, how the heck do you set up a balloon arch across this street?! Dedication from the Twin Cities community was abound.
2011 Twin Cities Marathon (Morgon Mae)
At mile 19, the course takes runners across a bridge over the Mississippi River – so if you’re a geography nerd, THAT is pretty cool. You get to cross the Mississippi, in a marathon! From that point on, runners traverse the streets of St. Paul and, as in most marathons, things get a little tougher and bleaker. The only major obstacle for most in the course is a two mile climb from mile 21 to 23 – this slowed me down to say the least. Twenty-one miles into a marathon is not the best place for a hill but once you reach the summit, it’s a 5k descent to the state capital which is yet another lovely landmark.
For those looking for a smaller field (about 8,500 marathoners and 11,000 total runners including the 10 miler) in a new location, it is a race not to be missed. If you are considering this race, be sure to sign up early as it closed several months prior. My only regret is not planning more time to spend after to explore the bustling neighborhoods, shopping and cuisines that Minneapolis and St. Paul have to offer. A location that’s accessible for both east and west coasters, it’s a most enjoyable marathon experience.
Course: A Scenic and very few hills, minus that tough climb at mile 21. The elevation and high probability of ideal running weather –in the 50s – give this course high PR potential. Runners get to enjoy many lakes, the Mississippi as well as a start and end in the middle of each city. I never felt like the organizers had “filler” miles on highways. There are just a lot of beautiful landscapes to take in over 26.2 miles!
Organization: A Everything about the experience allows participants to focus on the run. The expo was simple – I could have been in and out in less than ten minutes if not for poking around at all the gear. Pre-race info was clear, website had everything important easily listed including race weekend links to directions and athlete tracking – an often forgotten detail!
Atmosphere: A The whole city really seems to love this race. From the cheering college students to older folks in bands to high school cheerleaders handing out water, the race had an enjoyable hometown feel. I even ran for several miles near Mudonna, the St. Paul Saints baseball team mascot who set a world record for marathon run in a mascot costume. If that doesn’t scream hometown pride, I don’t know what does.
Logistics: A- Not a point to point race but start and finish lines are VERY accessible. Waiting inside is a pleasure. Support along the way was abundant. My only minor complaint was the inadequate portable toilets immediately in front of the race start. Inside the stadium there were plenty but they filled up quick as race time approached. So if you race here plan to pee accordingly!
Overall: A Beautiful course, high likelihood of perfect weather, great fan support, well organized, great sized field of runners. You can’t ask for much more than that!
-Andrea
